Former goaltenders and wannabes everywhere are down with the Florida Panthers' plan to hold open tryouts for a practice netminder. But for at least one more game, the team will rely on call-ups for NHL action.

Good thing veteran Dan Ellis was on speed dial.

Struggling to maintain their run for the Stanley Cup playoffs, the Panthers this week lost starter Roberto Luongo and backup Al Montoya to injuries.

Acquired last season, Ellis was supposed to be Luongo's backup. An 0-5 finish led the Panthers to sign Montoya. So Ellis was toiling at AHL San Antonio, an outpost about as far from hockey as a top-level affiliate can get.

Thursday marked one year since Ellis was traded to the Panthers by the Dallas Stars, who just happened to be the visiting team. An Ellis victory would have put a nice bow for this story.

Didn't happen.

"I felt good in there," Ellis said. "I would've liked to get the second point but getting one from that perspective was good enough."

Two of the Stars' goals were on deflections. Not much Ellis could do on either. And with a lineup weakened by a spate of flu, even a shootout loss wasn't too shabby.

Ellis will get the start Saturday when the Panthers play host to the New York Islanders. And with his team sitting two points behind the Boston Bruins for the Eastern Conference's final playoff berth, one point won't be good enough.

Word from Miami is the Panthers will be without Bobby Lu for at least one more game as he recovers from a shoulder injury.

Luongo "won't play Saturday but after that he will be day-to-day,'' coach Gerard Gallant said. "There's a possibility we're looking at him for [Thursday, against the New York Islanders]. It's tough to lose a guy like that.''

With Montoya out at least two weeks with a bum groin, the Panthers had to bring up Sam Brittain from the ECHL to back up Ellis. Brittain's first appearance in a Panthers game will be his NHL debut. A former college goalie from Calgary, Brittain is 22.

Ellis, a well-traveled 34, might be best remembered for his seasons with the Nashville Predators. His best season was 2006-07, when he was 22-10-3 with a .924 save percentage and 2.34 goals-against average.

Either goalie is a better option than what Gallant faced in a bizarre lost to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Gallant first lost Luongo, and then saw Montoya leave with injury. Luongo, already in street clothes, had to suit up again. His backup, who would have played in an emergency, was goalie coach Robb Tallas, 41.

Tallas hadn't played in the NHL since the 2000-01 season, and his most recent game at any pro level was in the Austrian league a decade ago.

Given their goalie problems, the Panthers were wise to call open tryout for anyone interested in stopping shots in practice. It's not a job for the fainthearted or Joe Beerleaguer.

"We look forward to welcoming goaltenders from across South Florida to this open tryout," Tallas said, via the Palm Beach Post. "It promises to be a once in a lifetime experience for the goaltender who is selected to serve as our team's back-up practice goalie for a day."

But it will be a great gimmick for the Panthers, if nothing else. The team needs the attention, given that it drew fewer than 9,000 to Thursday's game averages about 10,700 — last in the NHL.